Engine-starting apparatus



L. MfWOLFFSOHN (NOW BY JUDlCiAL CHANGE OF NAME L. M. WOOLSON). ENGINE STARTINC APPARATUS. APPLiCATON FILED AUG 2, me.

1,393595u Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

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amu vbroz u L. M. W OLFFSOHN (NOW BY JUDICTAL CHANGE OF NAME L. M. WOOLSON).

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLTCA lON FILED AUG.2, 191s.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2' L "mg gfglnucnfoz A 58 @Hezumag L. M. WOLFFSUHN (NOW BY JUDICiAL CHANGE OF NAME L. M. WOOLSON). ENGINE STARTING APPARAYUS.

APPL CA CN FILED AUGYZ. 1916.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

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T'UNI'ITEYDP STATES States, and aresident of'Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,

have invented an Improvement in 'Engi ne- I Starting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates Specific features, to motor-operated engine: starters in which a motor-driven member is shifted into and-out of connection with the engine. The present invention is an improvement on certain inventions of'Joseph ijur,-set forth in his United States Patent No. 1,095,696, dated May 5, 1914:, for englne starting apparatus and in his United States application, Serial No. 79,025, filed February engine starting apparatus. 'One of the objects of the invention is to provide starting apparatus for internal com bustion engines, which shall be of simple construction and efficient and reliable action. Another object is to provide a simple and compact engine-starting apparatus in which l paratus of this general the danger of damaging the parts by jamming or otherwise, is minimized or eliminated. v

Another obj ect is to provide improved aptype, in which one of two gears relatively movable axially, is automatically forced into meshing condition in case the teeth of the two gears tend to meet d to end. Another object is to provide a mechanism of the above general type in which the parts are arrangedand proportioned to minimize the external dimensions .of the without sacrifice of mechanical strength or low cost of construction.

Another object is to provide-an inexpen;

sive and efficient construction of the above nature enabling the parts to be easily assembled and readily inspection or repair.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and

, in part pointed out hereinafter.

ments and arrangements he invention accordingly comprisesthe combinations of eleof parts which are exemplified in the structure hereinafter defeatures of construction,

Specification of Letters Patent. .Application filed August 2, v191e,. Serial No.

to engine-starting apparatus, and with regard to certain more power.

apparatus disassembled in case of raJ'ENT OFFICE.

,EnemE-smmme arramrtrs.

scribed, and the scopeof the a which will be indicated in t claims, In the accompanying drawings, in whiclf is shown one of various ments of this invention,

e following motor and engine illustrated conventionally, and the motor-driven pinion and-engine-driven gear shown in disengaged position. I

'Fig. 2 is a'sectional elevation on the ,line 2-20f Fig. 1, showing the elongated pinion on the-motor shaft, the gear driven thereby,. and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal elevation similar Fig. 1, but showing the motor-drlven pinion and engine-driven gear partially in mesh.

Fig. 4c is a: view similar to Fig. 3, showing the relation of the several parts when the teeth of the motor-driven pinion and enginedriven gear meet end to end.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

starting enginessuch as internal combustion engines, which are ordinarily incapable of starting without the assistance of external In a preferred form of the invention, the fly-wheel of the engine is provided with a gear, which, at appropriate times, is meshed with a pinion driven from an electric motor. To start theengine, power is applied to the motor, and the rotation of the motor effects both the meshing of pinion and gear and the rotation of the engine shaft through the medium of the When. the engine its own power, the pinion and gear are disengaged by an action similar to that shown inabove-mentioned Patent No. 1,095,696, dated May 5, 1914, and the power is cut oil pinion and gear.

from the motor either manually or auto-- matically, as may be. desired, these features of constructlon in themselves formlng no part of the present lnventlon.

possible embodihas started to rotate under Patented Oct. 11,1921.

plication of v .to the right-hand portion of Referring now to the accompanying drawi ings, there is shown in Fig.

7 1 an engine 1 comprlslng a casing 2 and,

shaft 3, upon which is mounted a fly-wheel 4, carrying a gear 5', hereinafter referred to as the enginedriven or fly-wlieel gear. A motor shown conventionally at 6. has mounted upon its shaft 7 an elongated pinion 8 meshing with the gear 9 mounted at 10 on a countershaft 11 for rotation and axial movement with respect to said countershaft. The left end of the countershaft has a bearing at 12 in the frame 13 of the motor 6, while the right end of the countershaft is provided at 14 with a bearing-formed in anextension 15 of the motorframe; suitable lubricating devices are provided for these bearings and in other ortions of the apparatus where they may be needed, but since the lubrication forms no feature per se of the present invention, these devices are indicated only diagrammatically, and in some instances are not shown at all in the accompanying drawings.

The gear 9'is provided with an annular recess 16 to receive a comparatively heavy compression spring 17, the opposite end of which bears against a collar 18 mounted on the countershaft 11 but prevented from leftward axial movement thereon, by the shoulder 20. It will thus be seen that rotation of the motor causes the gear 9 torotate, being pressed rightward axially of the countershaft 1].. by means of the heavy compression The rightward movement of the gear 9 is opposed by a friction disk 22 riveted as at I passing through the slots 30 and through a diametrical aperture 32 in the countershaft -11. The heavy compression spring 17 normally forces the gear 9, friction disk 22, disk 25 and collar 29 rightward, and holds these parts in the axial position illustrated in Fig. 1, with the pin 31 at-the left end of the longitudinal slot 30, that is, with the pin 31 bearing against the right face of the spacing washer 27. A thin snap cylindrical cover, shown conventionally at 33, serves to retain thepin '31 in position with res set to the countershaft 11. The right-ban face 34 of the gear 9 is thus forced axially rightward by the compression spring 17, against the friction disk 22 so that the rotation of the motor shaft 7, pinion 8 and gear 9 acts through this friction clutch 34-22 to transmit any torque of a moderate value, to the friction disk 22, and thus to the disk 2.) riveted thereto, whence this torque is transmitted through the feather-key drive indicated conventionally as a flat on the shaft at 35, to the countershaft 11. That is, if the load upon the, countershaft is less than the torque-transmitting capacity of the clutch 34-22, the countershaft will be rotated at the same speed as the gear 9.

The rotation of the countershaft 11 effects the operation of the fly-wheel gear 4. For this purpose, the countershaft 11 is externally screw-threaded, as at 37. Mounted upon this screw-threaded portion of the countershaft, for rotation and axial movement with re spect thereto, is a pinion 38, hereinafter referred to as the sliding or motor-driven pinion. This, pinion is provided with internal screw-threads 39 registering with the external screw-threads 37 of the countershaft 11. From this it will be clear that if there is relative rotation between countershaft and pinion, there will be relative axial movement between these two elements, owing to the sorewthreaded connection between them; and conversely, if relative rotation be prevented, relative axial movement will likewise be prevented. In the operation of the apparatus, power is applied to the motor to set its shaft 7, and gear 9 in rotation; this transmits motion to the gear 9 and countershaft 11. The pinion 38 does not at once acquire the speed of rotation of the counter-' shaft 11, due to the inertia of said pinion.

Thus the countershaft 11 rotates faster than the pinion 38, and this relative rotation of countershaft and pinion causes the latter to travel axially of the former, toward the left in Fig. 1, and into engagement with the teeth 40 of the fly-wheel gear 5. The teeth 41 of the motor-driven gear 38 preferably have their ends toward the fly-Wheel tapered,

so that unless the teeth meet almost exactly end to end, said teeth will satisfactorily mesh with one another, the tapered surfaces effecting a slight rotation of the pinion, if necessary, to insure the meshing of teeth. Usually,

in the operation ofthe starting apparatus,

the pinion 38 and gear 5 will be brought into mesh without difficulty, either with or with-' out the aid of these tapered surfaces of the teeth, and the operation thereafter will be as indicated below under the heading Operation after meshing. However, the teeth 41 might jam against the teeth 40, and in order to prevent the trouble that would ensue in such a case, the present invention includes among its advantageous features the provisi'on of certain constructions and operation of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be hereinafter described under the head ing Operation to enforce meshing.

It will be, noted that the ap aratus as a whole is compactly arrangedz articularly, the gear 9 is provided with the annular-recess 16 to receive the spring 17, and the spring 45 extends over the elongated bearing 14 for the sliding countershaft 11 for a considerable distance axially of the countershaft, thereby economizing in space lengthwise of the apparatus. The pinion 38 preferably travels inwardly toward the motor into engagement with the fly-wheel gear, rather than outwardly into such engagement, thus reducing the various strains attendant upon the cranking of the engine and rendering the appa ratus more compact.

perat z'on prior to meshingi- -when the engine is to be started, power is applied to 1 washer 42 or other means.

is, mounted 1 If, as 1s ordinarily the case,

;the motor, to set its shaft 7 and pinion 8 in rotation, This rotates gear 9, friction disk 22, and countershaft 11. The pinion 38 does not at once acquire the speed of rotation of the countershaft 11, owing to the inertia of e pinionor its friction against the cupped This relative rotatlon ofcountershaft, and pin-ion, the 'formenat a higher speedthan the latter, causes the pinion to travel to the left until its teeth 41 reach the teeth on the gear 5 upon the fly-wheel .4 of the en- 'g n Y @0peration after making-Ordinarily, the teeth 40 and 41 will mesh, and e pinion 38 will then travel leftward to and past the position shown in Fig. 3 'ofthe drawings into full mesh. 'When the left face 43 of inion strikes the right face of the collar "39,1; e leftward travel of the ,pinion is cushioned by the compression spring 17 the engine cannotbe started without the use of a greater 1 torque than that rictionqclutch 34-22, th rotate, but instead the ofxthe; countershaft 11 e pinion does not continued rotatlon istightening the clutch -eihc1ent of friction between its cooperatin surfaces.

This

. clutch to a point where thelclutch can trans- I mit the power needed to wh 385s effected as followsz-The 'nowdriven from the .;ing it, rotates fasterf with the gear 5, regardless drive the engine, and-the engine is started. .-;-When the engine has begun to rotate unpower, disengagement of the fly- 5 and the motor-driven pinion pinion 38, gear 5 instead of drivthan the motor-driven Fpountershaft 11, and with this excess of speed the pinion travels along the countershaft toward the right, out of engagement of whether the or is still running. As

anotor'has stopped 38 approaches the rightward t e pinion limit of its travel, its right face engages fric- 1 tween this cupped tionally the,

cupped washer 42 abutting the shoulder 47 on the countershaft 11 and tending to maintain the shaft in its leftward po- 60.

sltion, and compresses the comparativel light compression I 42 and the seat 46 111 the extension 15 of the motor frame 6. This deadens the movementof the pinion 38 and prevents the pinion from rebounding washer afforded initially at the 4 pressing theclutch members 34,-22 against j-- theforce of the spring .5

en gear 9 strikes collar 18 the pressed, and the frictional I pinion to rotate spring 45 mounted bee into mesh with the off in the motor, and the motor-driven countershaft comes to rest The friction between the pinion 38 and cupped washer 42 offers enough resistance to the movement of the pinion so that the pinion when in its right-hand position of rest, does not rotate without appreciable torque, and hence this spring and washer act as a de'tentand serve to prevent the accidental rotation of the pinion 38' and the consequent possible contacting of gear andpinion, owing to the vibration of the when the engine or vehicle is runnin Operation to e the pinion teeth 41 shoul fiy-wheel-gear teeth 40, the plnion will be unable to travel farther toward the left, and since the countershaft is at this time rotated by the motor there will be considerable endthrust toward the right, upon the countershaft, since said countershaft is unable to push the pinion axially toward the left. The rightward movement of the countershaft 11 is opposed by the compression of the relatively light coil spring- 45 mounted between the cupped washer 42 and the seat 46. As the countershaft 11 moves toward the rlght, the countershaft carries with it ,the left-hand collar 18 hereinbefore de- .scribed as abutting against he countershaft and receivinglthe left .,end of the heavy pring 17, whose other end 17, and automatically" b by increasing the coa shoulder 20 the left face 43 of the pinion 38, the clutch 34-22 is comcontact between collar and pinion, or the increased friction at the pinion threads 39, or both, causes the slightly, enough to bring the pinion teeth 41 into mesh with the flywheel-gear teeth 40. Then the light spring 45, which at this time is under considerable compression, forces the countershaft 11, and with it the pinion 38, leftward so that the pinion is thus brought fully into mesh with the fiy-Wheel gear 5. In this way the jamming or rather the incipient jamming, of the teeth of pinion and gear is almost instantaneously' relieved, and any; damage to the parts of the apparatus is prevented by the prompt relief afforded by the cooperationof the light spring 45 and associated parts.

It may be noted that by this arrangement of using a light spring 45 in conjunction with the relatively heavy spring 17, there is 'a complete cushioning of the shock occasioned not only by the leftward axial movement of the countershaft, but the application of torque to the pinion to relieve the apparatus ther rotation of the motor serves to cause the operation described under the heading Operation after meshing in the same 15 manner as if no incipient jamming had occurred.

From the above, it will be seenthat there is provided apparatus in which the, objects of the invention are realized, and other advantageous results obtained.

As various changes might be made in the above construction, and as the above invention might be embodied in different forms, it is intended that all matter set forth in the above descripion and in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted ,as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the following combination of elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a motor, an enginedriven gear, driven from said motor through said friction clutch and axially movable into mesh with said gear, an axially movable member upon which said pinion is mounted, means adapted to exert a cushioning effect to cushion and limit the axial movement. of the pinion into engagement with the gear, and means for tightening the clutch when engagement has been effected.

2. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine-driven gear, a motor, a friction clutch, a threaded member driven from said motor through said friction clutch,

. a pinion threaded on said member in pos1 tion to travel on its threads into mesh with said gear, and means engaging the entering end of said pinion to tighten said clutch and thereby apply an increasing rotary force to said pinion upon the teeth of said pinion meeting those of said gear end to end.

3 In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a motor for starting the same, a driving connection between engine and motor including a friction clutch and including normally disengaged gears relatively movable to bring the teeth of said gears into mesh, and means for automatically tightening said clutch and eifecting relative rotation of said gears to bring them into mesh when their teeth meet end to end.

a friction clutch, a pinion 4. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a motor for starting the same, a driving connection between engine and motor including a friction clutch and a normally disengaged gear and pinion relatively movable to bring the teeth of gear and pinion into mesh, and means acting automatically, upon the jamming of pinion teeth against gear teeth, to increase the torque of said clutch and rotate the pinion ino mesh with the gear.

5. In apparatus of the combination, an engine, nected to the engine, a friction clutch, a pinion driven by the motor through said friction clutch, means whereby the pinion is moved into engagement with the gear during the starting operation, and means for automatically tightening said clutch and simultaneously rotating the pinion when the pinion teeth and the gear teeth meet end to end.

6. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a starting motor therefor, a driving connection between engine and motor, including a clutch operating with a moderate torque, and including class described, in

, a normally disengaged gear and pinion relati vely movable axially to bring the gear teeth and pinion teeth into mesh, and means a motor, a gear coni acting automatically upon an incipient jam ming of gear teeth against pinion teeth end to end, to increase said torque and thereupon to effect a relative rotation of gear and pinion to bring said gear teeth and pinion teeth into mesh.

7. In apparatus of the class described, in

combination, an engine, a starting motor therefor, an engine-driven gear, a yieldable clutch, a pinion driven from said motor through said yieldable clutch, said pinion being shiftable axially into and out of engagement with said gear, and means effective after the meshing of gear teeth and pinion teeth for limiting the axial movement of the pinion and simultaneously forcing said pinion to rotate, said means beingautomatically eifective to tighten said clutch and force the rotation of the pinion when the pinion teeth and gear teeth meet end to end.

S. In apparatus of the class described, in

combination, an engine, a motor, an enginedriven gear, a frlction clutch, a pinion slidable axially nto and out of engagement .with said gear and driven from said motor through said friction clutch, means for limitmg the axial movement of the pinion. intoi engagement with the gear, and means for frictionally engaging the pinion and simultaneouslytightening said clutch to rotate the pinion when during a starting operation thta pinion teeth and gear teeth meet end to en 9. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a motor, an engineion and limit driven gear, a friction clutch, a pinion driven from said motor throu h said fric tion clutch andaxiall'y movabe into mesh with said gear, an axially movable member upon which said pinion is mounted, means adapted to exert a cushioning effect to cush- V the axial movement of the pinion into engagement with the means offermg' resistance to relative axial driven gear,

'with said gear,

ion is mounted, and means adapted to exert a relatively 1i ht cushioning effect to cush-, ion and limit t ion into engagement with the gear, said 26' e axial movement of the pinmeans offering a resistance to relative axial shifting of saidmember and said pinion duringthe jamming of the teeth and for increasing thetorque of said clutch, whereby africtional drive between said member and fsaid pinion is effected to rotate the pinion and break said jam.

I combination, an engine,

' tightening said clutch as the 11. In apparatus of the class described, in ing the same, a driving connection between engine and motor including a friction clutch and including normally disengaged ears relatively movable to bring the teeth 0 said gears into mesh, means for automatically effecting relative rotation of said gears to bring them into mesh when their teeth meet end to end, and means for automatically gears mesh.

In apparatus ofthe class described, in combination, an engine, a motor for starting the same, a driving connection between eng'ine and motor including a friction clutch and a normally disen aged gear and pinion relatively movable to ring the teeth of gear and pinion into mesh, means acting automatically upon the jamming of pinion teeth against gear teeth to rotate the pinion into mesh with the gear, and means'acting automatically when the gear and pinion have meshed, to increase the torque of said clutch.

13. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine, a motor, an enginedriven gear, a friction clutch, a pinion driven from said motor through said friction clutch and axially movable into mesh with said gear, an axially movable member, upon which said pinion is mounted, means adapted to exert a cushioning effect to cushion gear, and

"members are jammed ,ment has been effected.

an engine-' a member on which said pinshoulder,

a motor for start and limit the axial movement of I the pinion into engagement with the gear, means offering a resistance to relative axial shifting of sleeve and pinion during the amming of the teeth whereby a frictional drive between sleeve and pinion is effected and thereby break said to rotate the pinion jam, and means for tightening the clutch automatically up to a degree at which the together when engage l Inapparatus of the class described, in combination, an engine-driven gear, a friction clutch, a threaded member driven from said motor through said I friction clutch, a pinion threaded on said member in position to travel on its threads into mesh with said. gear, and means engaging the entering end ,;.of said pinion adapted to apply a rotary'"force to said pinion upon the teeth of said pinion meeting those of said gear end to end, and to ti hten said clutch when the gear and PlDlOIl'iflVG meshed.

5 In apparatus of the class in combination,

a compression spring surrounding a collar abutting said shoulder to receive said spring, a gear 'annularly recessed to receive of said spring, and a friction to said shaft, said v face of said gear to form described,

said sha and adapted on said shaft the other'end device keyed operating with a a friction clutch.

16. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, -a'- shaft provided with a shoulder, a compression spring surrounding said shaft, a collar abutting said shoul der and adapted to receivesaid spring,' a gear on said shaft annularl ceive the other end of sai spring, afriction device keyed to said shaft and a'da 'tedsaid s aft,

for limited movement axially o? f ace 0 said said device coeperating with a a shaft provided with a a motor, a

device 00-.

recessed 'to 'reearto form a friction clutch, and means for forcing said friction member axially of the sleeve in a direction to tighten the clutch.

17. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a shaft provided with a shoulder, a com ression spring, surrounding said shaft, a co lar abutting said shoulder and adapted to receive saidspring, a gear on said shaft adapted to receive the other end ofsald spring, a friction device featherkeyed to said shaft,'said device coijperatlng with a face of said gear to form a friction clutch, and means for limiting the compression of the spring.

18. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a shaft a gear thereon provided with an end ace, a friction device feather-keyed to the shaft and cooperating with said face to form a friction clutch, means opposing the movement of the gear axially of the shaft in a direction to reduce the torque of the'clutch, and means opercombination, a motor,

.ative to move the friction device axially of the shaft in a direction to increase the torque of the clutch.

19. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a shaft, a member thereon provided with an end face, a friction device feather-keyed to the shaft and cooperating with said face to form a friction clutch, means 0 posing ber axia ly of the shaft in a direction to reduce the torque of the clutch, and means maintainin normally a predetermined torque an permitting a movement of the friction device axially of the shaft in a direction to increase the torque of the clutch. v 20. In apparatus of'the class described, in combination, a motor, a pinion internally threaded and driven thereby, a driving eonneetion between motor and pinion comprising a threaded shaft on which the pinion is mounted for'rotation and axial movement, a

- geanthe inion moving axially into engagement wit the'gear when the shaft is rotated, the shaft moving axially if the pinion teeth and gear' teeth meet end to end, an elongated bearing for the shaft to permit said axial movement thereof, a compression spring opposing said axial movement, and

a seat for said spring outside the bearing, a

ortion of the len th of the spring surround 111g said elongate bearing. a

21. In apparatus of the class described, in a gear driven thereby, a shaft, a springsurrounding said shaft, a gear meshing with said first gear provided with a face and internally recessed to receive said sprin a friction device featherke ed to the s aft and cooperating with said face to form a friction clutch for trans mitting motion from the motor to the shaft, a pinion threaded on a portion of saidshaft andadapted to move axiall toward the motor into mesh with a gear, t 1e axial movement of the pinion serving to compress said spring and tighten said clutch, means for limiting the compression of the spring to limit the torque of said clutch, and a second spring opposing axial movement of the s aft, the pinion effectingthe axial movement of the shaft and thereby the rotation teeth and the teeh of said last-named gear meet end to en 22, In apparatus of the class described, in

the movement of said mem-,

m sses combination, a motor, a pinion driven thereby, a driving connection between motor and inion comprising a shaft externally threa ed and (:06 rating' with internal threads on the pinion, whereby the pinion may rotate and move axiall with respect to the shaft, and impositive holding means having a lane surface cooperating with a face of said pinion for retaining the pinion in its position of rest axially of the shaft, to prevent accidental rotation of the pinion when the shaft is stationary.

26. In an engine starter, the'combination with a driven gear, of a shaft havin a member comprising a ear teeti portion for 006 ration with sai driven gear and a threa ed portion for cooperation with said threads of said shaft to cause automatic shifting of said member into mesh with said driven gear, means for impositively holding said member in home position, said means threads,

including a stop on said shaft and a part starter, the combination of a shaft, a driving gear thereon adapted to be brought into mesh with said driven gear and to be automatically demeshed upon starting of the engine, means for impositively holding said driving gear in demeshed position, said means including a slidable stop on said shaft, a part movable with said gear, said stop and art having cooperating plane impact sin aces normal to the shaft and a coil spring to take the shock of impact.

25. In an engine starter, the combination with a driven gear, of a shaft, a driving gear thereon adapted to be brought into mesh with said driven gear and to be automatically demeshed upon starting of the engine, means for impositively holding said driving gear in demeshed position, said means-including a-slidable. sto on said shaft and a part movable with said gear, said stop and )art having coopleratinlg plane impact suraees normal to t e sha t, and a compression spring back of said stop and encircling said shaft to take the shock of impact.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this 19th day of July, 1916.

LIONEL M. WOLFFSOHN. 

